Croft



(No Model.)

J. R. MEADOWOROPT.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 454,559. v Patented June 23,1891.

WINDSOR HOTE ilwuewi'o'e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. MEADOXVOROFT, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN \VESLEYALLISON AND HECTOR PREVOST, OF SAME PLACE.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,559, dated June 23,1891. Application filed October 9, 1890. Serial No. 367562. (No model.)Patented in Canada November 21,1890, No. 35,474.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN ROBERT MEADOW- CROFT, of the city of Montreal,in the district of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators, (forwhich I have obtained Letters Patent of the Dominion of Canada, No.35,474, granted November 21, 1890;) and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to the class of station-indicators for use inrailway-trains, which have a series of cards or plates arranged inconsecutive order loosely bound together at one edge and having notchesin the opposite edge, such plates being held in position to display thename of a station at one time, and upon being released successively falland present an advertisement on their opposite sides.

The invention has for its object to avoid complicity of mechanism, toimprove the construction of certain parts, to render the operation ofthe device more certain, and provide means whereby the cards may bereadily secured in place in the frame or removed therefrom.

The principal improvement is in the means for retaining and releasingthe cards or plates successively, and this consists of a sliding barwith lugs or projections adapted to bear upon the faces of the cards, tohold them up, and to register with the notches, at other times torelease and allow them to fall.

To avoid the possibility of the bottom edge of one plate becomingengaged with the edge of the one behind it in turning over, I have bentsuch bottom edges outward; and in order to render it an easy matter tolock the cards or plates in position in and remove them from the casingI secure two pins rigidly in the back of the casing, and fit 011 these ahollow staple on which the cards or plates are slipped, securing thestaples in place by means of a button or like device, which can beturned to engage with a projection from the casing.

For full comprehension, however, of the invention, reference must be hadto the annexed drawings, in which like symbols indicate correspondingparts, and wherein Figure 1 is a face view of the indicator; and

Fig. 2, a vertical section of indicator on line 03 00, Fig. 1.

A is the frame or casing similar to those now in use; B, a horizontalmetal shelf 10- cated midway of its length, faced with a round rod B,and serving to support the cards or plates 0 when they are turned up orin their station-indicating posit-ion.

D D are two face-plates secured to the interior side of the back A ofthe casing, and having bosses cl (Z on their rear sides adapted to fitapertures in such back, and serving to furnish extra metal to provideseats into which pins D D can be screwed and project from such plates towithin a short distance of the face of the casing.

E E are hollow staples, the legs of which can be fitted over the pins DD, and one of such legs be provided with a collar E to hold in place abutton E hung loosely on such leg, and which can be turned to engagewith a right-angled ledge or projection D on the plates D D, so as tohold the staples in place.

The cards or plates 0 are threaded upon 7 5 the staples E E the same asformerly, except that the eyes are changed to slots 0 to give freermovement, and have their edges, which rest on the shelf 13, bentoutward, as shown in Fig. 2, so that any chance of the one that isfalling down catching in the edge of the one behind it is avoided. Theopposite or free edges of these cards or plates are notched innon-registering or alternate order, as usual, so that while theretaining device in one po- 8 5 sition will hold one card it must bemoved to another position to hold the next one and free the first, O Cbeing the notches in the front card, and the dotted lines 0 C indieatethose in the one behind it. 9

The device for retaining and releasing these cards consists of a bar G,adapted to slide in the bearings G, secured on the faces of the sideboards of the casing, and having lugs G2 G projecting from its underside at such a distance apart that they will coincide with the notches Cand C when the bar is moved to left or right, as the case may be, thisbeing preferably done by the lever II, pivoted at h in a bearing 11,projecting from the side of the casing and connected at g with one endof the bar, suitably flanged, as at g,

to regulate the movement of the bar in one direction, a cap on the otherend determining the opposite movement of same.

Rollers J J are preferably mounted in the lugs G G to facilitate travelalong the faces of the cards or plates 0.

An arm G projects up from the top side of the bar G at a point aboutcentrally of its length and carries two rollers K K, respectively, atits upper end and on its inner side, the former serving to engage with acurved foot L on the operating-rod of a signal-bell L of the Russell &Erwin type, so that in passing beneath same it will elevate such rod andcause the bell to sound, and the latter, running on a metal strip M,secured on the under side of the top of the casing, and serving tosupport the weight of the bar G in the center.

N is a guide-plate secured to the face of the top of the casing andserving to steady the bar G, the arm G of which works between the plateand the casing.

Vhat I claim is as follows:

1. In a station-indicator, the combination,

1 with a series of cards arrangedin consecutive order, loosely boundtogether at one edge and non-registering in parts, of a slidinglockingbar capable of offering one or more points of engagement with thecards, and a lever for operating said bar.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination,

with a series of cards arranged in consecutive order, loosely boundtogether at one edge and having non -register1ng notches in anotheredge, of a sliding bar having one or more lugs projecting in front ofsaid cards so as to engage them atmore than one point and for retainingand releasing them successively, and a lever for operating said bar, asset forth.

3. In a station-indicator of the kind described, the combination, withthe staples E, shelf B, and rod B, of the series of cards arranged inconsecutive order, loosely bound together at one edge by said staples,non-registering in parts, and having their bottom edges bent outward, asshown, and for the purpose set forth. 4

4. In a station-indicator of the kind described, the combination, withthe series of cards arranged in consecutive order and nonregistering inparts and with the back board of the casing, of pins rigidly secured tosuch back board, staples hollowed to fit over such pins and serving tobind said cards loosely together at one edge, and a locking device forsecuring such staples in place.

5. In a station-indicator of the kind described, the combination, withthe series of cards arranged in consecutive order, loosely boundtogether at one edge and non-registering in parts, the sliding bar G,provided with two or more lugs projecting in front of said cards andhaving the arm G and the lever H, of a signal-bell having anoperating-rod, the movement of which by said arm will cause the bell tosound, as set forth.

Montreal, 6th day of October, 1890.

J. R. MEADOWOROFT.

lVitnesses:

P. JOHN WANE, FRED. J. SEARS.

